Steam-engine



6N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet- 1.

R. SLHILL.

STEAM ENGINE. No. 553,712. Patented Jan. 28,- 1896.

WIJWESSES inn 2mm 3 SheetsSheet 3. R. S. HILL.

STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 28, 1896.

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DREW B GRAHAM PHOTO Ln 0 WASHINGO (No Model.)

UNTTED STATE PATENT OFFicE.

ROBERT S. HILL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of; Letters Patent No. 553,712, dated J anuary 28, 1896. Application filed June 7, 1895. $erial No. 551,940. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steamdfingines; and Ideelare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to valves for steamengines, and has for its object improvements in the construction, location, and operation of the valves and parts of the reciprocatingpiston engine.

I employ entirely independent parts for the live steam and the exhaust-steam, and the two valves that alternately admit live steam to the two ends of the piston have the form of small plate slide-valves. The exhaust parts are also covered by independent valves.

The actuation of the live-steam valves in opening is from the main shaft or from the governor-spindle, and the actuation of these valves in closing is from springs that are put under tension during the opening of the valves. The exhaust-valves are both opened and closed by direct connection with the eccentric-rod.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the cylinder with the cap of the steam-chest removed. Fig. 2 is a section through the cylinder and shows the exhaust ports and valves. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are details of the parts of the exhaust-valve. Fig. 6 shows the cylinder applied to an upright engine and indicates its connection with the main shaft. a detail of the connection between the eccentrio and the rock-shaft which directly actuates the live-steam valves. Fig. 8 shows in detail the connection between the rock-shaft and the live-steam valve.

A indicates the cylinder, one side of which is flattened externally, fitted with a steamchest B and provided with ports 1 2. (Seen in Fig. 2.) Another side is flattened, fitted with a cap 0, and provided with two exhaust-ports 3 at. On the exhaust side, within the shell, are diaphragms which divide the space into three chambers a I) c. The diaphragm 5 is Fig. 7 shows parallel, or at least has those ports which immediately surround the ports 7 8 parallel to the face of the cylinder upon which the valves 9 10 reciprocate. Each of the valves 9 10 is made in two parts, 9 9, and between the two is a sprin 9. The two parts 9 9 each act as valves, the one part, 9 closing the port 3 frolnthe cylinder into the chamber a, and the other part, 9 closing the passage 7 between the chambers c1. and 0.

Instead of hanging the valve 9 and the valve on a single rod or stem, I make for each an independent stem 9 10, each of which passes out through the casing at its own end of the cylinder, and the two are united by yoke-rods 11 12, that work in suitable bearings at the side of the cylinder. One of the yoke-rods, 11, is utilized to actuate the live-steam valves by mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

The live-steam valves work in a steam-chest B. They are narrow valves, each one being only of that width necessary to cover the port and give sufficient bearing to make it work accurately and freely.

16 17 indicate the two valves, and at the back of each is a notched lug 16 17, in which rests a pin 16 17, crossing the end of a rockarm 16 l7 fron1 the rock-shaft 18 19. One end of each rock-shaft extends through the side of the steam-chest, and on the protruding end is abarrel-Wheel 2O 21 inclosing a spring. One end of the spring is fast to a hub on the easing surrounding the end of the rock-shaft, and the other end of the spring is fast to the inside of the barrel.

Each barrel has a notch in its external perimeter, in which the pawl 25 26 engages. The pawl 25 is held by a pin 25" to aratchetlever 25 fulcrumed on the rock-shaft. The lever 25 is linked to the rod 11, which is actuated by the eccentric. The pawl 25 is pressed by a spring 25 against the periphery of the barrel. A pin 27 located in the path of the tail of the pawl 25 serves to disengage the point from the notch in the periphery at the proper time.

The barrel is made separate from the rockshaft and is primarily adjusted thereon, so as to give the valve mechanism and the eecentric-rods the proper lead with reference to r the piston.

In action the reciprocating eccentric-rods actuate the ratchet-levers 25" 20", opening them at the proper intervals for the admission of steam, and at the proper intervals the pawls are disengaged from the ratchets and the valves rapidly closed by the action of the springs in the barrels. In this construction the passage-Ways for steam are shorter and straighter than those employed with the ordinary valve. The valves are small and light, and the surfaces that are in frictional contact with the valve-seat are small.

\Vhat I claim is 1. I11 a steam-engine, the combination of the cylinder, steam-chest, suitable ports and passages, an independent slide-valve for each port, a rock-shaft engaging the valve and adapted to reciprocate the same, a spring adapted to be strained by the rock-shaft and to retrieve it, a ratchet-lever and a pawl adapted to engage the rock-shaft, and a link connecting the ratchet-lever with the eccentric-rod, and means for adjusting the relative movement of rock-arm and eccentric-rod, substantially as specified.

9. In a steam-engine, in combination with an eccentric and its rod, a pair of slide-valves, a pair of rock-shafts supported in the Walls of the steam-chest, levers mounted on the rock-shafts and having their free ends engaging said slide-valves, ratchet-levers loosely engaging the outer ends of said rock-shafts, ratchet-pawls carried at the free ends of said ratchet-levers and adapted to engage said rock-shafts, a pair of adjustable links, each being pivoted at one end to the free end of one of said ratchet-levers, and having their opposite ends adj ustably secured to a yokerod, said'yoke-rod adapted to be operated by the eccentric whereby said slide-valves are alternately operated in one direction, means for tripping said paWls, and means for rapidly retrieving said slide-valves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT HILL. \Vitnesses:

JAMES M. BosTWIcK, GEORGE HARGREAVES, Jr. 

